[wolverine876]

Beyond a doubt, political, economic, and military support (including access to major international markets), from from the wealthy countries of the world has a major impact on development, and opposition from the same can crush development. Since the Cold War, over 30 years ago, the great majority of wealth and power has been in the democratic, capitalist countries. Russia is a shell, and China only recently has enough money to become an economic force (though they've politically alienated most of their neighbors).

In particular, Thailand has long been tied to the US, and Vietnam is to a signiicant degree aligning with the US as protection from China. They also have other relationships, of course.

If the merits are so strong in your argument, why this tired sophistry of victimhood, and attacking the parent comment?